Title: On wind velocity profiles over urban area

Authors: Klara Bezpalcova, Zbynek Janour, Viktor M.M. Prior, Cecilia Soriano, Michal Strizik

Addresses: Department of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, Charles University, V Holesovickach 2, 180 00 Prague 8, Czech Republic. ' Institute of Thermomechanics, Dolejskova 5, 182 00 Prague 8, Czech Republic. ' Instituto de Meteorologia, Rua C, Aeroporto, P-1700 Lisboa, Portugal. ' Departament de Matematica Aplicada I, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC), Av. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. ' LIDAR s.r.o. V Holesovickach 2, 180 00 Prague 8, Czech Republic

Abstract: The horizontally homogeneous atmospheric boundary layer over rough surface with a large roughness length z₀ is introduced to model the simplest cases of the Urban Planetary Boundary Layer (UABL) over the flat plain. The system of the equations of motion was non-dimensionalised and it has been demonstrated that the Rossby number similarity exists for the core of the UABL. That means that the non-dimensional profiles of the horizontal Reynolds stresses, eddy viscosity and velocity defect components are universal and independent of surface characteristics, contrary to the non-dimensional components of the velocity which are not universal. Radiosounding launched in Barcelona (ES), Lisboa, Evora and Neves Corvo (PT) and sodar measurements for wind above Prague (CR) are compared with the universal profiles determined by numerical simulation.

Keywords: atmospheric boundary layer; urban area; wind velocity; roughness length; stratification; surface Rossby number independence; universal profile; blending height; radiosounding; sodar measurement; Portugal.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2003.004275

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2003 Vol.20 No.1/2/3/4/5/6, pp.196 - 206

Published online: 10 May 2004 *

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